Switch operating means



March 31, 1964 R. J. BERTLING swncn OPERATING MEANS Filed J an. 1'7, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V EN TOR. PonzzZd J Earth BY 739' JM Wm fitter/29w March 31, 1964 R. J. BERTLING SWITCH OPERATING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 17, 1961 J MW 4 United States Patent 3,126,756 SWITCH OPERATING MEANS Ronald J. Bertling, South Milwaukee, Wis, assignor to McGraw-Edison Company, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 83,334 6 Claims. (Cl. 74-479) This invention relates to electrical switches and, more particularly, to a mechanism for operating electric switches or other devices from a remote location.

In electric power systems, switches are frequently mounted a considerable height above the ground on wooden poles or other structures which support electrically live conductors at safe distances above traversed areas. To avoid having a lineman ascend the switch supporting structure when he desires to perform a switch opening or closing operation, an elongated rotatable switch operating shaft is coupled to the switch and extends to a point accessible at ground level. In certain larger types of switching installations, a considerable amount of torque is required to rotate the shaft and move the switch contacts to their open or closed positions. In such installations, gear reduction mechanisms are required so that the switch may be operated manually or electrically by means of a motor. When such gear reduction means are used, however, the movement of the switch blade between its open and closed position will be relatively slow. Should ice form on the stationary contacts while the switch is open, such slow moving switch blades do not generate sufiicient ice shattering impact forces. As a result, good electrical contact between the stationary disconnect contacts and the switch blade may not be achieved.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide means for rapidly uncoupling a disconnect switch operating shaft from its associated gear reduction mechanism so that the switch may be rapidly moved between its open and closed positions during icing conditions.

This and other object and advantages of the instant invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment taken with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a gear reduction mechanism utilized with a disconnect switch and incorporating the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the gear reduction mechanism shown in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the operation of a preferred embodiment of the instant invention.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows a gear reduction mechanism which is secured to a portion 12 of the substation superstructure by bolts 13. The details of the particuular gear reduction mechanism illustrated in the drawings are discussed in copending application Ser. No. 841,844, now Patent No. 2,974,540 assigned to the assignee of the instant invention, and form no part of the invention disclosed herein. For purposes of illustration, the mechanism 10 is shown to be coupled to a rotating insulator, vertical air break switch 14 suitably mounted in vertical spaced relation above it on a horizontal superstructure member 15. The details of the illustrated air break switch are discussed in Patent No. 2,830,144, assigned to the assignee of the instant invention, and similarly form no part of this invention. It will suffice for the purposes of this disclosure to point out that upon rotation of the center insulator 16 in a first direction, the movable contact blade 18 will be rotated out of engagement with the fixed contacts 20. Conversely, upon rotation of insulator 16 in an opposite direction, switch blade 18 will be rotated to its closed position shown in FIG. 1. A vertical shaft assembly 22 connects the rotatable insulator 16 to the gear reduction mechanism 10 so that rotation of the operating handle 24 will move switch blade 18 between its open and closed positions.

The gear reduction mechanism 10' is shown to be coupled to the shaft assembly 22 by means of a driving clamp 26 and includes a driving mandrel 28 for transmitting power from a gear 343 and a pinion 32 to the driving clamp 26. Pinion 32 is rotated manually by the operating. handle 24 and the gear 30 is keyed to the driving mandrel 28 which, in turn, is rotatably mounted in the housing 11 by means of roller bearings 34. While the gear reduction mechanism ll is shown to be manually operable, it will be understood that operation by an electric motor is also possible.

The driving clamp 26 comprises a pair of clamp members as which are disposed on the opposite sides of the shaft assembly 22 and held in high pressure engagement therewith by bolts 38 and nuts 39. In addition, a self-piercing set screw it'lis disposed in a radial threaded opening in each of the clamping members 36 and their inner ends are forced through the surface of the shaft assembly 22. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the clamp members $6 is also provided with a radially extending driving lug 4-1 which are constructed and arranged to engage matching recesses 42 formed in the interior of the driving mandrel 28 and near its upper end. It can thus be seen that upon rotation of driving mandrel 28, recesses 42 will engage driving lugs 41 to rotate the clamping head 26 and thus the shaft assembly 22.

The shaft assembly 22 comprises a pair of telescopingly engaging portions, which consist of a main shaft 44 whose upper end is directly connected to the switch 14 and an auxiliary shaft 46 whose lower end is aflixed to the driving clamp 26. Rotational motion is transferred from the auxiliary shaft as to the main shaft 44 by a key 47 affixed to the inner sulface of the lower end of main shaft 44 and which slidably engages a groove 48 formed longitudinally in the outer surface of the lower end of the auxiliary shaft 46.

The mechanism 50* for uncoupling the shaft assembly 22 from the gear reduction means it} includes an operating arm 52 which is pivotally connected at 53 to a bracket 54 rigidly affixed by a clamp 55 to the auxiliary shaft 46 at a point below the lower end of the groove 48. Relative movement between clamp 55 and shaft 46 is prevented by a self-piercing set screw 56 extending through a radial opening in clamp 55 and through the surface of shaft 46. The mechanism 5ft also includes a pair of connecting links 58 whose upper ends are pivotally connected at oil to the opposite sides of a clamp 62 aifixed to the main shaft 44 at a point above key 47 and whose lower ends are pivotally connected to the opposite sides of the operating handle 52 at a point 64 which is above its pivotal connection with the bracket 54. Similarly, relative movement between clamp 62 and shaft 44 is prevented by a set screw 63.

When the uncoupling assembly St is in its position shown in FIG. 3 the driving lugs 41 are in recesses 42 so that rotation of the handle 24- will rotate the auxiliary shaft '46 which will be transmitted to the main shaft 44 through the key 47 and the groove 48.

Uncoupling of the shaft assembly 22 from mechanism 10 is accomplished by rotating the handle 52 through a 90 degree clockwise angle from its vertical position shown moved laterally relative to the shafts 44 and 46 so that the links 58 are rotated through a slight clockwise angle as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4. Because the pivot points 60 are fixed, this rotation moves the pivot points 64 upward and to the left as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4 so that the vertical distance between the pivot points 60 and 64 is shortened. This draws the clamping member 55, bracket 54 and the handle 52 upward a short distance. Since the clamping member 55 is afiixed to the auxiliary shaft 46, the latter is also raised, telescoping into the lower end of the main shaft 44 thereby moving the driving lugs 41 out of the recesses 42 in the driving mandrel 28 as shown in FIG. 4. In this manner, the shaft assembly 22 is uncoupled from the gear reduction mechanism 11.

it can be seen, however, that because of the key and groove connection 47 and 43 between the main and auxiliary shafts 44 and 46 respectively, operation of the disconnect switch 14 can be accomplished by swinging the operating handle 52 in a plane normal to the axis of the shaft assembly 22. It can be seen, too, that because there is a direct connection between handle 52 and the switch 14 there is little or no loss of speed. Accordingly, rapid swiveling of the handle 52 will rapidly move contact 18 of the disconnect switch 14 toward the stationary disconnect contacts 26 so that there will be sufficient impact forces to shatter any ice which may have formed on the latter. When normal operation of the mechanism is again desired, the handle 52 is returned to its vertical position shown in FIG. 3 whereupon pivot point 64 of link 58 will move downwardly relative to its fixed pivot point 60 thereby returning the driving lugs 41 to the recesses 42.

In order to prevent unauthorized uncoupling of the shaft 22 from the mechanism it a dog ear and slot locking arrangement 68 is provided.

While only a single embodiment of the instant invention has been shown and described and while it has been explained with reference to a particular gear reduction mechanism, it is intended that all modifications and embodiments that fall within the true scope of the invention, and its use with any suitable mechanism be covered by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An operating mechanism for a disconnect switch having open and closed positions, including an operating shaft connected to said disconnect switch and effective upon rotation to actuate said disconnect switch, gear means and a separable coupling connection having a first member connected to said gear means and a second member connected to said operating shaft and being movably mounted thereon for displacement into and out of engagement with said first member, said first and second members normally being in engagement so that rotation of said gear means will actuate said disconnect switch, and means coupled to said second member and said shaft and operable independently of the position of said switch means for engaging and disengaging said first and second members and for rotating said operating shaft independently of said gear means when said first and second members are disengaged.

2. An operating mechanism for a disconnect switch having open and closed positions, including an operating shaft coupled to said disconnect switch and being effective upon rotation to actuate said disconnect switch, gear means and a separable coupling connection having first and second members, said first member being connected to said gear means and said second member being mounted for movement into and out of coupling engagement with said first member and being mechanically connected to said operating shaft, said first and second members normally being in engagement so that rotation of said gear means will effectuate the actuation of said disconnect switch, uncoupling means coupled to said second member and to said operating shaft and pivotable between first and second positions independently of said switch means for moving said second member into and out of engagement with said first member and for rotating said operating shaft independently of said gear means when said first and second members are out of engagement.

3. In an operating mechanism for a. disconnect switch, an operating shaft connected at one end to said disconnect switch and effective upon rotation to actuate the same, gear means mounted adjacent the other end of said operating shaft and a separable coupling connection having first and second members, said first member being connected to said gear means and said second member being mechanically connected to said operating shaft and slidably mounted thereon for movement into and out of engagement with said first member, said first and second members normally being in engagement so that rotation of said gear means will effectuate the actuation of said disconnect switch, uncoupling means including handle means coupled to said shaft and pivotally connected to said second member and operable upon pivotal movement from a first position to a second position to slide said second member out of engagement with said first member so that said operating shaft may be rotated independently of said gear means by said handle when the latter is in its second position.

4. In an operating mechanism for a disconnect switch, an operating shaft connected at one end to said disconnect switch and effective upon rotation to actuate the same, gear means mounted adjacent the other end of said operating shaft and a separable coupling connection having first and second members, said first member being connected to said gear means and said second member being mechanically connected to said operating shaft for rotating the same and slidably mounted thereon for movement into and out of operative engagement with said first member, said first and second members normally being in operative engagement so that rotation of said gear means will efiectuate the actuation of said disconnect switch, uncoupling means including handle means pivotally mounted on said second member between an initial position substantially parallel with said shaft and a second position substantially normal thereto, link means pivotally connected at one end to a fixed point on said shaft between said second member and said disconnect switch and at its other end to said handle means so that movement of said handle means at a point displaced from the axis of said operating shaft to its second position pivots the other end of said link means outwardly from said shaft to shorten the distance along said shaft between the ends of said link means thereby sliding said second member toward said fixed pivot point and out of engagement with said first member so that said operating shaft may be rotated by said handle means independently of said gear means.

5. An operating mechanism for a disconnect switch having open and closed positions, including an operating shaft connected at one end to said disconnect switch and effective upon rotation to move the same between open and closed positions, gear means mounted adjacent the other end of said operating shaft, a separable coupling connection having first and second portions, said first portion being connected to said gear means and said second portion being mechanically connected to said operating shaft and slidably mounted thereon for movement into and out of engagement with said first portion, said first and second portions normally being in engagement so that rotation of said gear means will effectuate the actuation of said disconnect switch, uncoupling means operable independently of the position of said switch means and including handle means pivotable between first and second positions, said handle means being connected to said shaft and to said second portion and being operative upon pivotal movement to its second position to slide said second portion out of engagement with said first portion, said handle means being operative in its second position to rotate said operating shaft independently of said gear means when said first and second portions are uncoupled.

6. A device for disconnecting a shaft from a gear mechanism comprising, a separable coupling connection having first and second members, said first member being connected to said gear mechanism and said second member being connected to said shaft and slidably mounted thereon for movement into and out of engagement with said first member, said first and second members normally being in engagement so that operation of said gear mechanism will rotate said shaft, uncoupling means including link means pivotally connected at one end to a fixed point on said shaft and having its other end coupled to said second member, means for pivoting the other end of said link means outwardly from said shaft to shorten the distance along said shaft between the ends thereof so that said second member will slide toward said fixed pivot point and out of engagement with said first member, and handle means for rotating said shaft independently of said gear mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. AN OPERATING MECHANISM FOR A DISCONNECT SWITCH HAVING OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, INCLUDING AN OPERATING SHAFT CONNECTED TO SAID DISCONNECT SWITCH AND EFFECTIVE UPON ROTATION TO ACTUATE SAID DISCONNECT SWITCH, GEAR MEANS AND A SEPARABLE COUPLING CONNECTION HAVING A FIRST MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID GEAR MEANS AND A SECOND MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID OPERATING SHAFT AND BEING MOVABLY MOUNTED THEREON FOR DISPLACEMENT INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST MEMBER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS NORMALLY BEING IN ENGAGEMENT SO THAT ROTATION OF SAID GEAR MEANS WILL ACTUATE SAID DISCONNECT SWITCH, AND MEANS COUPLED TO SAID SECOND MEMBER AND SAID SHAFT AND OPERABLE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE POSITION OF SAID SWITCH MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND DISENGAGING SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS AND FOR ROTATING SAID OPERATING SHAFT INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID GEAR MEANS WHEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS ARE DISENGAGED. 